A CHRISTMAS STORY

We haven't decorated for Christmas in a while.  My Mom loved Christmas and she got sick around Christmas-time and passed in July of the following year.  So that first Christmas we just couldn't do it.  Then the next Christmas we thought about it but decided not to again.  

Then a year became two and three and we tried again but the pole of the tree broke and so we just gave up.  We exchange presents every year of course but just no tree or lots of other decorating. 

Then we sold the house and moved, less space etc.

Flash forward to three Christmases ago. You all know I find a variety of cool things downstairs that people discard.  The big score was in early 2018 (this would have been just after Christmas 2017).

I saw this large box (this was the back that was facing me).  I thought "well ok, I could be persuaded, let me check this out some more" and I turned it around.

An artificial tree!  

Pre-lit!

There was another note on the other side that said "We only used this once and are moving overseas, enjoy!"

I got a valet cart, loaded it up and put it downstairs in our storage room.  2018 Christmas came around and we were packing to change apartment units and so I kind of put it out of my head.  Then last year, 2nd Man had just been laid off and there was no Christmas spirit.  This year though, I was determined and I wanted to do it as a surprise for him.  That's why you haven't seen this tree on our "trash to treasure" posts.  He didn't even know we had it.

So one day a few weeks ago while he was at work, I did some decorating.

I filled up our apothecary jars with a few Christmas-y things (there is another one off camera).

A wreath I put on the inside of the front door.

This wreath is from a very sweet coworker who made it for us and we love it.  This hangs on the outside of the door so all the neighbors can see it.

These are artificial poinsettias we have had in storage.  The are huge with velvet leaves.  They look very real but of course they are kitty safe!

Now for what you all what to see...so what did the tree look like once I set it up?  Did it work?

Behold...

It's almost 9 feet tall.  It came in three sections with the branches folded up.  You put the bottom section in the base, then the middle section slides into the lower and lastly the top.  There is a cord at the bottom I plugged it in and voila, beautiful tree!

But wait, that's not all...if you push the button again...

...the lights change from white to color!

We have a lot of ornaments in storage at the farm from our earlier tree decorating days.  The are glittery and sparkly and so pretty.  But since this would be Hobart's first Christmas with a tree, I wasn't sure how he would react so I put just some simple ball ornaments on.

Oh and the star on top?  It was a find as well in a different year after Christmas!

So Christmas 2021?  Watch out, it's on!

Merry Christmas everyone!